the two week mark was done and over.

after spending an hour hooking the screen up to the two cases, i brought in froakie for the demonstration, knowing he usually wouldn't mind anything that went on.

now, froakie was on the table, i was in front of him, pokedex in hand, and lysandre was a few feet away.

i have to admit i was a bit nervous. the pokedex might have looked impressive, but if it didn't work, then it was all for nothing. with a carefully-measured breath, i lift the dex up and hold it out in front of froakie, who looked up with mild interest.

lights on the sides immediately begin flashing, and the top case opens to reveal the screen, which had a loading circle looping around on it. after a few moments, it showed froakie through the screen, and the sound of a picture being taken was heard.

i let out a short breath and look back at lysandre, who stepped forward.

when i look back at the dex, words filled the bottom half of the screen, stating froakie was my pokemon -we had registered the dex under my name beforehand- and showing the type, height, and weight. once more loading circles gave way to words, i could see that it also displayed a number, 007. this was another relief. looks like the list i had sent over to lysandre, based on lists from other regions, with region starters being at the top of the list, had been quite nicely added.

i tapped on an 'x' on the corner screen, moving away from froakie, and a numbered list was brought up, froakie's name being the only one listed.

"this . . it's perfect." i look over at lysandre. "it's absolutely perfect. i can't believe it! this-this is the first kalos pokedex. it's actually happening. it's actually . ." i stop, realizing i'm on the verge of tears. "thank you."

"the pleasure is all mine, august. but there still is another thing we might test." at my beckoning, he explains, first letting out one of his own pokemon, a murkrow. "what about seeing if the scan works with a pokemon that isn't yours?"

i nod, moving the dex so that it was pointed upward at murkrow. immediately, the list disappears, replaced by the loading circle. it takes a bit longer, but eventually, murkrow is visible, and what looks like an estimated height and type appear. i look up at lysandre. "is murkrow 1'09" and a dark type?"

he nods.

"it works, then." my eyes move back to the screen. "amazing. truly, truly amazing."

"and all in part to you. it was your design, after all. i just helped with mechanics."

i shake my head. "but i truly appreciate your help."

lysandre returns murkrow. "what do you say we make two more? after doing it once, it should be easier the second time around."

i nod. "that actually sounds great. until then, would you mind if i held onto this?"

"consider it yours. how does . . eight days sound?"

i think for a moment before replying. "that should be fine. thanks again for your help. i'll see you around."

"you as well, august."

"well it looks amazing, but does it work?"

"he wouldn't've called us over here if it didn't."

"true. true."

i wait for the two of them to stop before holding the pokedex out first to diantha. "just hold it up to face one of the pokemon. and thank you, vi."

viola makes a face before turning to lean over diantha's shoulder.

at the same moment, di lifts the device up and points it at an azurill. in a few moments, both their faces hold shocked expressions and they look up at me.

"this is amazing!"

"how did this happen?"

"well, it's in part lysandre's help", i tell them.

"huh", di began, "i guess i judged him wrong."

"so is this the final version", vi asks.

i nod to her. "yep. i'm already working on parts for two more, which should be finished by next week."

"oh, then that's perfect", di says. "we're meeting gurkinn tomorrow, and should be back in a couple days' time. plenty of time to finish the two pokedexes, right?"

"yeah, that should be fine."

"awww no fair! i wanna go and solve the mystery of the stone too", vi pouts.

"you do have a gym to keep up", i point out.

she turns away from me, arms crossed. "i know, i know."

"there is another thing i have to tell the both of you." they perk up. "it's . . about those documents you gave me, di. i managed to figure something out about the stone." they both immediately step closer, and so i begin.

"one of them talked about what seemed to be a team of people digging up a big piece of rainbow-colored stone. a person in the team took a shard of the stone home with him and his venusaur, and it talked about the shard glowing. next, the team found a tri-colored piece of stone, which the same man took home with his pokemon. apparently, he came back the next day proclaiming a miracle called mega evolution had occurred that night, with both the rainbow and tri-colored shards of stone assisting."

di looks intrigued while vi troubled. then, vi taps her head.

"of course! i've heard of mega evolution before. alexa got an interview with gurkinn, and he mentioned it to her, although he didn't tell her what it was . ."

"guess it's a good thing we're going to see him", di muses.

viola reaches out and grabs the pokedex from di, looking at it closely in her hands. "have . . you thought about what i said about trevor? you know, i met him again just the other day. he really liked the pictures i took of your kanto pokemon. and i think he's a good enough kid. smart, too", she murmurs.

"oh? i never heard about this."

"guess i. . forgot to mention it", i say. to viola, "i have a bit. and i think he is a good choice. with this dex cleared out, i should have three in a week. surely i can find two more by then."

vi had been about to say something when her holocaster began ringing. she sighs before going inside and answering it, talking to a head-and-shoulders holographic form of a person.

"i'm her ride, so . ."

i nod to di. "of course. that's pretty much all i had today."

"how's squirtle?"

"squir . . ? uh." i turn, looking over my shoulder and spotting the water pokemon. "good, i guess."

she smiles. "that's good. are you taking her with us tomorrow?"

"i guess i can."

"then do."

"hey di, we have to go", viola calls out. "i've got a challenger, apparently. bye august!"

di nods to me. "gotta run. see you tomorrow."

"bye."

as they leave, i turn and look at squirtle again. she was lying on the grass, having tired herself out. was there a hidden meaning in di's words, or was i overlooking it . . ?

i guess i would find out tomorrow.

"so tell me again why he's all the way in ambrette?"

"didn't say. my guess would be visiting the aquarium with his granddaughter, though."

i perk up. "korrina?" if she was with gurkinn, why hadn't she called? well, then again, she had said she would when he returned to shalour.

"no. his other granddaughter. the one from johto."

"oh." only a slight disappointment set in. it wasn't like i was looking forward to talking with korrina again, with all her shaky awkwardness. or, maybe she had just been sick?

"you brought the stone?"

"yeah. and squirtle", i add, after a moment.

"good. i brought gardevoir."

"that all?"

"would i need more?"

"good point."

we arrived in ambrette just as the sun was setting, which, apparently, was the perfect time to check into hotel rooms. di slipped me my card key, told me not to sleep too long, and went off to her own room for the night.

i let squirtle out before i went to sleep, and she seemed quite happy about it. i'd like to think she slept peacefully the whole night, but truthfully, i couldn't say for sure. i didn't.

a sharp, loud noise shook me swiftly from my slumber, jerking my head up. it only took a moment to locate the source at my holocaster. a glance at the clock showed the time to be three a.m. who would be calling this late?

i rub my eyes before reaching out and hitting a button, bringing up a holographic image of the last person i expected to have call -lysandre.

"hello august. you're looking well."

i shake my head. "do you know what time it is?"

he looks disheveled and quickly checks his watch. "oh. my apologies, i didn't realize it was so late."

"or so early", i muttered. then, louder, "what is it you need?" i might have been tired and snappy, but really, i was a little joyful. there was another person out there that got so into something that they didn't notice how much time had gone by. of course, i noticed this only because he looked as inhumanely-perfect as he always did, even at three in the morning.

"i just wanted to let you know i have selected the three who will obtain the pokedexes."

and that crashed my mood. "the . . wh . ."

"are you okay, august?"

"y-yeah, i'm fine. tell you what: i will consider those three and give you a definite answer once the eight days are fully up.

his eyes narrow just a bit. "alright."

"yeah okay well it's la-early i'll talk to you some other time. mkay? bye." and with that, i reach out and end the call, slumping back in the bed. already selected. was he serious?

before i could think about it more, sleep washed over me.

i was actually up before diantha, but the only reason being because squirtle had insisted on going downstairs.

i had just finished my coffee when she made her way towards me from across the room, two others tagging along.

she comes to stand beside me and gestures to the two. "august, this is percy cetrillo and tiara cetrillo. percy, tiara, this is professor augustine sycamore." to me, she mutters, "tiara is the one i mentioned before."

"it's nice to meet you, professor", percy, the honey-haired one, says. she pokes tiara in the side and her younger family member follows suit.

"yeah, it's nice to meet you! say, do you know who the prettiest kalos pokemon is?"

i furrow my eyebrows. "i . . can't say i do. really, i don't think i've seen all kalos pokemon."

tiara nods. "well, that's fine then. but now that we've met, you have to let me know if you do! just remember, it has to be a strong -a really strong- pokemon that gets along with all other pokemon. that's what will make it the prettiest."

"i like this one", di whispers to me. i nod back to her, then bend down to meet tiara's eyes. "it's a deal."

"gamma, or, grandfather, actually is at the glittering caves. he said to send you there", percy says.

"well, thank you for telling us", di replies. to me, "shall we go?"

i nod and stand. "maybe we'll run into the two of you again.

they both nod. "we'll be waiting", tiara calls out.

the glittering caves weren't a far walk by any means. i let squirtle out because of it, and she thanked me by staying within eyesight.

when we reached the entrance, squirtle kept close. already, i could see bits of green and blue crystals lining the walls ahead.

di looks around before turning to me. "well, i guess they never actually said where he was directly. perhaps he's inside?"

i nod. "let's find out."

even with the blue and green lights illuminating the cave mildly, i knew it could get dangerous. the sooner we found gurkinn, the better.

a noise comes from our left. i glance over at di before walking in that direction, her at my heels. suddenly, a light shines in our eyes.

"oh? you're not back-up. who are you?"

the light is lowered to reveal two men in orange suits. one was holding the flashlight while the other was gathering up quite a few half-dug-up fossils. they looked like they had been buried for safekeeping.

"are you . . stealing those", i ask.

the one with the fossils quickly stands. "n-no. maybe."

"we're team flare -we can do whatever we want", the one with the flashlight says. "but enough of that. what are you doing in here? no one is allowed in here." to prove his point, he takes out a pokeball and produces a houndour. "don't make me make you leave, now."

i back up a step, immediately focusing on squirtle, who was behind me. but before i could do anything, diantha puts her arm out in front of me, stepping forward. she quickly sends out gardevoir. "i think you should leave those", she says in a low voice.

"oh, shit man, it's the champion!"

"serious? nah, it can't be."

"i'm telling you. look at that hair. and that gardevoir."

the light temporarily blinds the both of us once again.

"it is the champion. let's just get out of here!"

"right behind you, man!"

i cast di a wary glance, but hers is hard and determined. "quick", she says, "let's go after them."

so that's how we wound up blindly running through the cave, the only thing saving us from bumping into walls was the glow of the flashlight from up ahead. but soon, it flickers off, and i hear di come to a stop.

"can you find them", i hear her ask gardevoir.

before an answer could be made, a loud ping and falling of gravel came from our right. di looks back at me for a second before darting forward, and i follow quickly.

the source was, however, not what we expected. in the next bigger portion, crystals lined all sides of the walls, nearly completely illuminating the room. gurkinn cetrillo stood off to one side, going at it with a bare piece of the wall, a pick-axe in hand. he looks up as we make our entrance.

"oh. so you've made it. i see you've found my fossils as well."

we both whip around, expecting the men, but instead find squirtle, arms full with the fossils.

"guess they dropped them", di mutters as she reaches down to take them from squirtle, who accepts graciously.

in all the chaos, i hadn't even considered squirtle. had she gotten far behind? she must have, if she picked up the fossils. i couldn't believe myself. she must've been frightened, yet i hadn't even considered . .

"do not worry. sometimes we carelessly forget about our partners, but that does not mean they hate us for it."

i whip around, seeing gurkinn looking at me pointedly. i let his words sink in.

"ah, thank you dear", he says to di, who had given him the fossils. "see, i've been briefly hired by ambrette's fossil expo so in turn i can see them revive a pokemon. but, i think i have enough, don't you?" he sets his tool down. "and this seems to be a pretty good spot for a chat. so, have at it."

di glances back at me, and i remember what we came here for. i step forward to stand beside her and take out the rainbow stone, holding it out to gurkinn. "would you, perhaps, know what this is?"

he picks it from me and brings it up to his face. "ahh, indeed i do. but if it's an official name you're after, i'm afraid i can't give you that. only thing that's been named is the mega stones."

"mega . . stones?"

"right you are, mrs. champion." gurkinn returns the stone to me. "a mega stone and that stone there are the things needed to mega evolve a pokemon."

there was that term again. "so you know of it?"

"of course", he scoffs. "family's been around long enough to witness it. i actually have a so-many-greats grandfather who discovered it. he was the first to mega evolve a pokemon."

i glance at di. "would you mind explaining mega evolution?"

"well sure. anything for a champion and a renowned professor."

"renowned . .?"

"of course."

di goes straight to laughing. "how are you sure he's not just some side-street professor i picked up as an excuse?"

"what else would he be here for, dear?"

"moral support?"

"t-thank you for your kind words", i offer, glaring at di.

gurkinn nods. "i actually heard from my granddaughter that you received quite the batch of pokemon recently. was this little one a part of it?"

i look over to see he's pointing at squirtle, who smiles happily. "yes, she was."

"keeper, that one. but lets get back on topic. you want to know about mega evolution . ."

"mega evolution is a hidden act of evolution available after all stages of evolution are achieved to a single pokemon. as i said earlier, you need the stone like the one you possess, professor, as well as a mega stone for the pokemon. once the pokemon has mega evolved, you will find that its stats will have raised considerably, beginning with attack power. however, mega evolution is not something that lasts forever. the pokemon will stay in a mega evolved state for a battle at most, changing back to it's final-evolved form after." he pauses for a few moments before adding, "regrettably, that is all i know. questions?"

"are mega stones tri-colored", diantha asks.

gurkinn snaps his fingers. "indeed."

"my aunt found this stone near geosenge", i chime in. "do you think there might be more there?"

"well i wouldn't be surprised. after all, geosenge is a town typically shrouded in mystery. but i don't think it would be the only place. i found my own stone in anistar, as well as korrina's."

this peaked di's interests. "korrina can mega evolve a pokemon as well?"

he shakes his head. "oh no, i don't believe that she's ready yet. i actually haven't given it to her. but when the time is right, i'm sure she will be able to."

"which pokemon do you have that can mega evolve?"

"a lucario. though, if you are asking for a demonstration, with those science gears turning in your head, i'm afraid i cannot give it to you. if i had lucario with me, he would be helping me with fossils. instead, he chose to stay with the grandkids." he threw his head back in laughter. "damn shame, too. but i suppose pokemon have their own interests, same as us."

he bends down and tosses the both of us a fossil, picking the rest up himself and putting them in a bag. "afraid that's all that can fit. would you mind helping me carry some?" at our nods, he heaves the bag over his shoulders and picks up the pick-axe. "now, let's go get some sunlight before it all dries up."

i pick up squirtle before following, holding her close while she cradles the fossil. di is right behind me, having previously returned gardevoir.

"you might still be on alert", she mutters to me. "they might not have left fully."

i turn rigid but give her a nod.

"on a lighter note", she adds, "gurkinn happened to think you and squirtle were partners. and you didn't correct him. the little one's more than a research project, hmm?"

a little smile forms on my face. "yeah, i guess so."

"good. be proud of it."